AREAMAN, 33, FACESCHARGESFORGAMBLING

A 33-year-old rural Lawrence man was arrested early Monday in connection with a gambling ring that involved a large amount of cash, a Kansas Bureau of Investigation agent said today.

Greg Staples, Rt. 1, was booked into Shawnee County Jail on a Shawnee County warrant charging him with five felony counts of commercial gambling and five felony counts of distributing gambling devices, the agent said.

Special Agent Allen Jones, gaming division supervisor, said this morning that investigators seized from Staples' home several parlay cards lists of football games and odds. He said a "large sum of cash" also had been seized by Topeka police and the KBI. He would not say where the cash was.

Investigation now centers on determining how large the ring was and what part Staples allegedly played in it, Jones said.

A Shawnee County Jail spokesman said this morning that Staples has been released on a $5,000 surety bond. The spokesman said Staples is scheduled to appear Oct. 29 in Shawnee County District Court.